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July 9, 2010

G86: Red Sox 14, Blue Jays 3

How lopsided was this game? After four innings, the Jays' #7 hitter had come to the plate only once; the Red Sox's #7 hitter had scored three runs.

Lester (6-4-2-2-6, 96) allowed only one hit through the first five innings. Boston led 14-0 before the Blue Jays got a runner to second base.

Bill Hall hit a two-run homer in the second inning, and doubled in the sixth and eighth. Three Sox belted dongs in the third: Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Beltre went back-to-back, and Mike Cameron connected one out later. Cameron also singled twice, walked, drove in three runs, and scored three times.

Cleveland beat the Rays 9-3 and the Yankees beat the Mariners 6-1. Boston stays 5 GB, Tampa Bay drops to 3 GB. ... In the National League, the Reds led Philadelphia 7-1 going to the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies scored six times to tie it, then got two in the tenth to win 9-7.

Third-place Boston visits fourth-place Toronto for three games before the All-Star break next week.

The Red Sox have lost eight of their last 11 road games. They have beaten the Blue Jays in five of six games this season, sweeping a Skydome series on April 26-27-28, and taking two of three at Fenway on May 10-11-12.

Lester has a 1.84 ERA over his last 14 starts (98 innings); that's everything after his three bad starts to begin the season. He has allowed more than two runs in only two of those 14 starts -- 0, 0, 1, 2, 4, 2, 0, 1, 0, 6, 2, 1, 1, 1 -- dating back to April 23. He faced Toronto on April 28, allowing one hit in seven shutout innings, with 11 strikeouts.

Romero had a 1.88 ERA over six starts from May 30 to June 28, before allowing eight runs in 2.2 innings to the Yankees his last time out.

Daniel Bard has pitched only twice in the last 12 days, getting some much needed rest. He has not allowed a run or a walk in his last nine outings (8 innings, 3 hits, 9 strikeouts since June 15). Since May 22, he had allowed only one of 13 inherited runners to score.

Jed Lowrie played shortstop for Lowell (A) last night and went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI in a 5-4 loss to the Jamestown Jammers. (Peter Abraham notes that one of Jamestown's players is named Sequoyah Stonecipher.) Lowrie will play shortstop, second base, and third base during his rehab assignment.

1914 - The Austin Senators of the Texas League lose their 27th straight game. The streak will reach 32 games and the Senators will finish the season 31-114.

1946 - The All-Star Game is played at Fenway Park and Ted Williams steals the show, with two home runs, two singles, one walk, four runs scored, and five RBI as the AL wins 12-0.

1971 - In his major league debut, Atlanta shortstop Leo Foster commits an error on his first fielding chance (the first batter in the bottom of the first), then hits into a double play in the fifth and a triple play in the seventh. Foster was traded to the Red Sox in the spring of 1978 and played 49 games with Pawtucket, but was never called up to Boston.

2005 - In his first at-bat, Cubs pinch-hitter Adam Greenberg is hit in the head by the first pitch he sees. That one pitch was the extent of his major league career (he last played in the minors in 2008).

That's really not a bad lineup. Standard players except for DMD in left, which is an OK replacement for LBJ. I don't mind dealing with that injury if Nava/DMD are platooning while he's out.

Of course, theres a black hole at the bottom of the lineup with Cash there. And Bill Hall, who shouldn't be playing 2B.

So effectively, we are missing Pedey, V-Mart/Tek and LBJ. Big holes, yes. But they can be somewhat filled.

As well as HH and Beckett from the rotation, but we've been somewhat able to cope with that.

There are a ton of injuries, I'm not denying that. The team is performing well under the circumstances, but I think the bigger concern should be the bullpen. This lineup isn't as bad as the '06 one, IIRC, still respectable, and will score runs. Relief pitching is definitely the biggest problem right now, IMO.

I puked a lil in my mouth when I saw that column on the globe today about how Theo should get Kerry Wood.

"Everyone has a different pain tolerance and everyone heals at their own pace. So it’s awfully hard to come out and say anything harsh about Ellsbury. But the occasional raised eyebrows and smirks speak volumes."

Etc.:

"Nobody really knows why Ellsbury went to Arizona ... The Sox are affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital, not Fred Flintstone Hospital ...

Usually, a professional athlete is ready to take the field again in 3-5 weeks after a rib injury. ...

One also thinks back to how laudable it was in 1978 when catcher Carlton Fisk played much of the end of the season with a broken rib, feeling "a sword going through my side every time I threw the ball" ...

Jeremy Hermida broke five ribs in a collision similar to the one Ellsbury had with Adrian Beltre ... Hermida didn’t go anywhere. ...

The team obviously gave Ellsbury permission to go to Arizona, but ...

Players have the prerogative to go where they feel is best for treatment, but ...

Great story about Laser the dog. (I'm just getting caught up on the thread.) I was just thinking the other day... My cat is 15 and I named her Mo, the year that Vaughn won the MVP. For years I've said, if I got a cat now I'd name it Little Papi. The other day I had the thought, if I got a cat now, could I actually name it Laser Show?

That was sweet to hear the 10-0 score on the radio on my drive in to Toronto for concert night #2 at Ontario Place.

Looks like a great game, scrolled the thread quickly and I agree with A+L - would've loved to be down there tonight! Was going to go Sunday but going to have a busy day tomorrow so I want one day to relax this wknd. Game itself is fine, but getting there and out is sucky. But I'll definitely come out for JOS-2.